Resilient-tired wheel for self-propelled vehicles.



I TATENTED nm s, 1907.

B. M. OARHART. RESILIENT TIRED WHEEL FOR SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16, 1907.

v h m EN ER aw um'l flarhafi,

UNITED STATES.

" EDWIN M. GARHART, OF PR PATENT OFFICE.

OVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND! Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec a, 1907.

c- Application r1611 Pen-a is. 1907. Serial No. 357.625.

T all whom it may-concern: Y i

Be it known that'l, EDWIN M. ,CARHART, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ResilientTired Wheels for Self- Propelled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to improvements in the construction of resilient or cushion-tired wheels of the class more-especially ada ted for use on self-propelled or motor-vehic es. V i

The specific features of this inventionf however,v relate to novel improvements-in thetire and rim portions of the wheel and it consists, essentially, in the combination with the suit-ably constructed and supported nonyielding rim member proper, and the nonpneumatic annular tractlon-tire of rubber materially larger and normally concentric therewith, of. a plurality of shallow air-tight cups or cylinders spaced around, secured to and extending radially from the rim,-' connected piston or plunger-blocks movably mounted in said cylinders and in continuous contact with the inner or concave face of said tire member, a pair of oppositely-dis posed annular side plates of metal rigidly secured to said rim and tire members, and means connected with the cylinders through which the latter are charged with air under pressure, all as more fully hereinafter set orth and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a partial front sideelevation of a motor-vehicle wheel embodying my improvements; a portion of the side plate and rubber tire members being broken away to show the interior construction and arrangement of the several parts, and Fig. 2 represents, in enlarged scale, a cross-sectional view of the rim, &c., taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In the resilient-tired wheel A, embodying my improvements, the hub a, spokes b and rim or fellv c are or may be, constructed substantiall as usual. I prefer to'make the outer face 0 said rim member true and cylindrical, its two sides being flat and arallel and provided with the oppositely disposed concentric rooves 0 To the outer face of the rim is tted and rigidly secured a thin are'located shallow'cups or cylinders f; these" extend outwardly in a radlal direction, each as'd-rawn being secured inplace by a central 1 radial boltf passing through the base of thecylinder, band (1 and the rim 0, a-nut on its inner or lower, end firmly holding the cylin-' der in position, all as clearly re resented.

Asdrawn, see Fig. 1, the cy inders arearranged in four series of four each. The cylinders of each series are connected at a' pomt near the lower ends by short interposed tubes 11, the middle tube being in continuous open communication with the branch tube p extending downwardly or "inwardly through the said band and rim members and being suitably tipped and adapted to be at: tached to an air or charging-pump in a well known manner. The discharge orifices of the tubes p in each cylinder may be provided with an air-valve, as indicated at v. "Bythis arrangement the four cylinders are adapted to be simultaneously charged with air under pressure.

Each cylinder is provided with aplungerblock, preferably made of wood; lts head portion It being elongated circumferentially, curved transversely and provided on its inner side with a central piston orv plunger h inovably mounted in the cylinder and faced with suitable packing members of leather or other pliable material, there y when inuse forming an airtight joint to prevent the escape of air confined under pressure'in the cylinder chamber. I v

A comparatively narrow and somewhat flexible thin band 8 of steel encircles the plunger-blocks, each of the latter being sec'ure'dto it by means of the radial bolt i pass ing centrallythrough it and the plunger and the packing members 10 a-,washer W and nuts n firmly holding the several members together, see Fig. ;-2.- I refer to bend the two ends of said steel Y and downwardly, thereby forming longitudinally separated ears 8 through which a take-up or adjusting 'bolt t extends, as indicated in Fig. 1. This device is also employed in assembling and positioning theparts.

The endless traction or outer solid tire r, of rubber, ma have any suitable form crosssectionally. n the drawings it is represented ashaving a shallow substantially U- shape or concavo-convex form, its inner or concave face conforming to the adjacent outer cross-sectional form of the plun eri5 hoop or band at of metal. At evenly spaced distances around the said metal-faced rim blocks head It and .its superposed ban 8,

and also being in continuous snug contact therewith. On the opposite outer downwardly extending integral sidesor flanges of the tire member 1" and near its lower edges are formed the concentric circular grooves r arranged to receive therein the corresponding inwardly facing circular ribs m of the annular plates or cheeks m, about to be described. .The said plates 4n are made of portion or base.

I inserted transversely through the base metal, each having a slightly curved and graceful form cross-sectionally, and gradually increasing in thickness toward its inner The said base part of each plate is turned or faced oif true and provided with thecircularly arranged lip or rib 0 fitting the said recess 0 of the rim 0. At suitable intervals, circumferentially, bolts 0 are ortion of the plates and the adjacent part 0 the 'rim, thereby'rigidly securing said tire r and side plates to the non-yielding rim 0.

' In my improved Wheel A all the parts-or elements extending radially beyond the spokes and Whichare subjected to Wear, excepting the outer or traction face of the rubber tire member 1', are thoroughly protected and dust-proof; it is simple in construction and action and not liable to get out of order;

.all the parts are readily accessible, after the removal of one of the side plates m; the relative distance between the rim. 0 and Y the grooved lower. side flanges of the rubber tire .nemberis maintained at all times by means of the non-yielding side plates m, which practically interlock therewith the intermediate portion of the rubber tire member is,

however, capable of being depressed a distance corresponding with the oad upon the I axle of the wheel and the degree of air pres- ,40'

sure confined in the cylinders f and -bearing against the istons of the interposed plungervblock mem ers, the maximum movement of such cushioning effect being attained when thepIunger heads contact.w1th the outer or upper ends of the respective cylinders.

I am awarethat resilient wheel-tires have devised whichinclude i1; air construc tion agluralitiy of radially mounted 'pleripherally 'spose c t yl-inders provided wi movable air-resisted pistons --in contact'with a corresponding number of tire sections capable'of independent movement toward or from the center of the wheel, and in which more or less of the working parts are unprotected or exposed. In my improved tire device the endless rubbertire member 7* and the inelastic wheel-rim c are kept in position with respect to each other both circumferentially and laterally by the two imperforate annular outer side plates m m rigidly secured to said members, thereby forming an air, water and dust-tight annular space or chamber in which the working parts are located.

I claim as my invention and desire to .secure by United States Letters Patent:

1. In a wheel of the character described, the combination with the rim 0, a .pair of oppositely disposed annular metal plates on rigidly secured to the front and rear sides of the rim, and a continuous annular rubber tire member 1 having a substantially concavoconvex form cross-sectionally seated in and being supported by said plates, of a plurality of shortradially extending air-tight cylinders arranged around and rigidly secured to said rim member, a suitably packed piston or plunger-block h h movably mounted in each cylinder, its upper or head portion being en- .ofrubber having its inner peripheral surface provided with a continuous groove or recess,

a packed. piston or plunger-block movably mounted in each cylinder and being in continuous yielding contact with said grooved portion of the tire, and a pair of laterally separated removable non-yielding outer side plates m m secured to said rim and tire for supporting and maintaining the latter memher in the normal position.

.the cylinders, a non-pneumatic annular tire Signed at New Haven, Conn. this 9th day i of February, 1907.. EDWIN M. CARHAIt'i.

I Witnesses:

HARRISON HEWITT, JOHN BAss'rMmn. 

